Helping hands: Social Work faculty partners with community agency to support Michigan’s kinship families
Wayne State University School of Social Work Assistant Professor Kess Ballentine leads the evaluation for the KINDER-CARES program in partnership with Spaulding for Children, a national leader in foster care and adoption. This alumni-run organization provides crucial parenting support, resources, and training.
KINDER-CARES, which stands for Kinship Network Development, Empowerment, and Resilience, and Connection and Relationship Enhancement through Shared Parenting, supports kinship caregivers in Michigan. These caregivers are often family members but can also be coaches, teachers, or other adults with pre-existing relationships with the child.
“A lot happens quite early in the placement of a child,” said Ballentine. “It’s a six-month intervention, but most of this work is happening in the first six to eight weeks. With this program we hope to strengthen family support, ensuring that the parent or whoever has temporarily lost custody is able to remain, as much as possible, in the child’s life.”
Funded by Spaulding for Children and under a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), and the Children's Bureau, this project is set to be completed in 2026. As the lead evaluator, Ballentine oversees all aspects of the process and outcome evaluation of the KINDER-CARES intervention, ensuring timely data collection and analysis, and providing regular updates to key stakeholders.
Associate Professor Bryan Victor collaborates on the project, and graduate student Kathryn Wright, pursuing a joint doctorate in the SWAN (social work and anthropology) program, assists Ballentine. The program aims to provide swift support earlier in the case, ensuring family contact and connecting people with necessary resources.
Spaulding for Children is led by President and CEO Melissa Jenovai, a graduate of the School of Social Work’s master’s program, who has worked for the organization since 2004. While Spaulding for Children partners with evaluators on other projects, this is the organization’s first partnership with Wayne State University and Ballentine.
“We connected because our agency has a long-standing relationship hosting social work students at Spaulding for Children,” Jenovai said. “In fact, as a graduate student my internship took place at Spaulding for Children and that is where I began my career in social work.”
Wayne State students apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, preparing for the challenges of their future careers. These practical "learning by doing" experiences are part of the university's College to Career initiative, that encourages students to take part in internships, job shadowing, practicum placements, relationships with mentors, and more. These hands-on opportunities allow students to engage with the world, gain deeper insights, and prepare for successful careers.
School of Social Work student and Spaulding intern Winnie Cao embodies this experience. “My experience with Spaulding has provided me with an internship that allows me to be hands-on and to progress as an individual. It also has given me the opportunity to ask questions in a safe and accommodating staff atmosphere.”
This five-year, federally funded project aims to determine the best ways to support families and prepare staff to understand kinship caregivers' needs. It promotes shared parenting between caregivers and parents of children and youth in and out of foster care. The project is currently in its third year of the five-year funding cycle.
Social Work Acting Dean Debra Patterson stated “KINDER-CARES exemplifies Spaulding for Children and Wayne State University's commitment to serving the community through research and collaboration. By evaluating the program's effectiveness and providing data-driven insights, Ballentine's work is helping to shape the future of child welfare services and create a more promising path for children and families.”
The project is emblematic of the types of research being done by Wayne State faculty, supporting local communities by providing technical assistance for evaluations and data-driven insights into how we can best serve the people of those communities. This work aligns with Wayne State President Kimberly Andrews Espy’s Prosperity Agenda, which prioritizes empowering health for our urban neighborhoods and working collaboratively to ensure a prosperous future for students, graduates, the citizens of Detroit and beyond.
“This is an example of how social workers continue to innovate in the community,” Ballentine said. “This intervention draws on the concept that families who are trying to stay together don’t necessarily have the support in place that they really need. This program is trying to fill the gaps so families will have a positive experience that will make a significant impact on children’s’ futures.”
About Spaulding for Children:
Spaulding for Children, a private, nonprofit, COA-accredited child welfare agency, was established in 1968 to find permanent and safe families for children. The organization is comprised of three service entities: the Child and Family Services, the Spaulding Institute for Family and Community Development, and the Academy for Family Support and Preservation. The organization’s mission is to develop and integrate revolutionary and innovative programs that provide families the support needed to enhance the care of children and youth with the pursuit of permanency.
Writer: Sarah Freeman and Editor: Betsy Vanderstelt